Cup-dispenser.



C. ERRETT.

CUP DISPENSER, APPlcArloN man 9m15.191s.

@Patented une 12, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

`.C. ERRETT.

-' v@UP DISPENSER. f

APRLIQATION FILED DEC-15,1915.

Lgj Patented June 12, 1917.

' a sHEETs-fsHr-:ET 2.

C. ERRETT.

CUP DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. is, 191s.

Patented June 12, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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, CH i our-nrsrnnsnia.

`To all lwhom it may concern."

Beit known that 1, CHARLES ERRE'r, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and resident of the city of New York, in' the State of New.York, United States of America, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Cup-Dis ensers, of which the following is thespecification.

This invention relates to improvements in cup dispensers of the typeparticularly used for dispensing flexible paper cups and the objects ofthe invention are to provide a simple and eifective means by which theend cup of a stack may be released for use.

Tt is already well known' to se arate paper cups by means of wedged memers adapted to be inserted between the lips of the cup. This action,however, in addition to contamination .of the lip of the cup from asanitary standpoint, is also likely to damage or multilate the lip. Thisdifficulty is overcome in the present invention by engaging the sides ofthe cup and causing separation to'be effected by distorting the cupwhereby the tapered sides of the outermost cup will bear against the.next cup and be.

thus forced outwardly.

The invention comprises the improved construction and arrangement ofparts hereinafter described and set forth in the accompanyingspecification and drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective viewV of anembodimentof the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front eleva-tion.-

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partially sectional. Y

Fig 4; is a sectional plan view of the dispensing mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the dispensing mechanism on the line 2-2of'Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 4.

Tn the drawings like characters of reference' indicate correspondingparts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a suitable supporting member orplate de signed itself to be attached to any convenient fixed supportand conveniently formed of pressed sheet metal. B represents a. tubularcontainer for the cups in a stack, which areinverted therein. Thiscontainer is convenientl from a s elf on the supporting mem Aformed ofglass and suppgrted Specication ot Letters Patent. p Patented llimm12b-twill?,

' Application led. December 15, 1916. Serial No. 137,208.

' lln'theparti'cular mechanical-,construction which T have illustrated,the shelf C is supported by tongues 10 and 11 struck out of thel sheetmetal supporting member A, but any convenient construction might beadopted. The end of the tubular container B isV adapted to rest within aring 13, a flange 14 on which supports the lower edge of the tubularmember, the ring 13 having a Harige 15 at the upper end adapted to itanaper-` ture in an annular supporting member 16 and bear against theupper side of the supporting member as shown in Fig. 5. The

lower side of the supporting member is bolted or otherwise detachablyconnected to the shelf C. f

The shelf C includesl a supportin plate 18 having an oval aperture 19 trough which the cups are adapted to pass as they are dispensed. At thesides of the aperture supporting projections 20 and 21 are formedtalities which may be provided for the p'u`r pose and comprises a pairof pivoted dogs or fingers 22 and 23, shaped after the form ofbellcranks, the arms 25 'and 26 of which are adapted to be moved overthe projections 2O and 21 to engage the side of the cu and compress thesame, and the arms 2 and 28 of which are pivoted to an operating bar 29,av certain play being nection between the two.

' The operating bar is provided with a push button 30, which projectsthrough the casing 31- formed on the shelf C and which is adaptedtocontain the operating mechanism .parts fThejdogs 22 and l23 are retainedin allowed Aat the pivoting point,.which may be accomplished by making apin and slot con- 4 100 downwardly and suitable meafis are provided forsuppiirting them in convenient position to enable them to be lifted orre'- moved by the operator.

The means l have provided comprise a hook E projecting outwardly fromthe supporting member in such a position as to catch the cup as itfalls, as shown in Fig. 3.

To support the upper part of the tubular member ll in position, tongues33 and 36k maybe struck out from the supporting member A being adaptedto be bent around the tubular member' B, as shown in Fig. l.

The apparatus is designed to be used especially in connection with thevarious forms of flexible paper cups, which are at present manufactured,and which are almost all tapered.

A stack of such cups is inverted and placed in the container B, thestack 'being supported by the projections 20 and 21. When it is desiredto secure or dispense a single cup, the push button 8O is pushedinwardly, which swings the dogs 22 and 23 :inwardly against the sides ofthe lowermost cup, into theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4..This compresses the sides of the lowermost cup in a lateral direction',causving it to assume au oval shape such asis indicated in dotted linesin Fig. 4.

` A further result of this transverse distortion is that the distendedsides of the cupwill press with a moderate pressure against the sides ofthe next innermost cup. The result of this pressure will be to Jforcethe lowermost cup outwardly, thence causing it to drop downwardlythrough the oval yopening-19, while the next outermost cup is supportedat iirst by the upper surface of the dogs 22 and 23, and then by theprojections 2O and 21. The cup which has been dispensed drops downwardlyonto the hook E from which it maybe removed.

As many changesv could be made in the above construct-ion and manyapparently widely different embodiments of my invention within the scopeof the claims constructed without departing from the spirit or scopethereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanyingspecification and drawings shall be` interpreted as illustrative and notin a limited sense.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A dispenser for flexible cups or the iilre comprising means forsupporting a stack .inneres therelike comprising -means for supportinga.

stack of cups, means for exerting a pressure simultaneously on oppositesides of the end cup to thereby distort the same and exert a pressureagainst the stack which will cause ejectment of the cup being distorted.

el. A dispenser for flexible cups or the like comprising means forsupporting a stack of cups, a pair of compressing members adapted to beinserted betweenthe' lips of the two end cups of the stack and means foractuating said members.

5. A. dispenser for Hexible cups or the like comprising means forsupporting a stack of cups, a pair of compressing members adapted to beinserted between the lips of the two end cups of the stack and means foractuating said members, and spring means for holding thecompressing-members in normal position.

6. A dispenser for fiexible cups or the like comprising a supportingmember having apertures and projections in the side oi' the aperturesadapted to support the stack, compressing members above the projectionsadapted to engage and compress the end member of the stack.

7. A. dispenser for flexible 'cups or the like comprising a supportingmember having a pairof tongues struck out therefrom, a tubularsupporting member for cups adapted to li l LES ERRETT.

Witnesses: t

FREDERICK L. HACKENBURG, ETHEL FRmDRIoHs.

